Unitized refrigeration and water heating system

Abstract

A special unitary heat exchange unit for safely heating potable water from the waste heat of a number of refrigeration units is formed of a large diameter pipe perhaps 4 to 10 inches in diameter and perhaps 6 to 20 feet in length to extend along a refrigeration rack. The water to be heated is passed through the length of the heat exchanger, which is essentially a cylindrical tank enclosing a number of small double walled coils each constituting a heat exchanger through which freon or other similar refrigeration gas is passed for cooling. The double walled coils include the inner tube which carries freon, and an intermediate buffer zone in which a non-poisonous heat transfer liquid is located. The outer metal tubing is sealed to the inner freon containing tubing immediately outside the heat exchanger with a low pressure seal so that any break in the high pressure freon line will cause the freon to escape into or to be vented into the atmosphere, and no contamination of the potable water being heated will occur.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A unitized multi-unit refrigeration and water heating system in which manifolding of piping is avoided and potable water is protected against contamination, comprising: an elongated refrigeration installation including a plurality of refrigeration units;   an elongated heat exchanger pipe mounted generally coextensively with said refrigeration installation, said heat exchange pipe having a diameter of at least four inches and a length of at least ten feet;   a plurality of double walled condenser coils formed of standard metal tubing, mounted within said heat exchanger pipe, and having connections extending out from said heat exchanger pipe along the length thereof, said coils having different heat exchange capabilities corresponding respectively to the requirements of the individual refrigeration units in said installation;   non-toxic heat exchange liquid located between the inner and outer tubing of said double walled coils;   low pressure seals located between said inner and outer tubing outside of said heat exchanger pipe;   means for connecting the high pressure refrigeration fluid from individual refrigeration units to corresponding individual ones of said condenser coils; and   means for supplying water to be heated to one end of said heat exchanger pipe and for withdrawing heated water from the other end thereof.   
     
     
       2. A system as defined in claim 1 further comprising a preheat storage tank connected to receive heated water from said heat exchanger pipe, and a hot water heater connected to draw water from said preheat tank. 
     
     
       3. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said refrigeration fluid is supplied to said condenser coils at a pressure above 100 pounds per square inch, and wherein said low pressure seals yield at a pressure below 50 pounds per square inch. 
     
     
       4. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said heat exchanger pipe is at least 5 inches in diameter and is at least ten times longer than its diameter. 
     
     
       5. A system as defined in claim 1 further comprising a layer of insulation enclosing said heat exchanger pipe. 
     
     
       6. A system as defined in claim 2 further comprising pump means for circulating water between said preheat storage tank and said heat exchanger pipe. 
     
     
       7. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said heat exchanger pipe is made of steel, and wherein said double-walled condenser coils are made of standard copper tubing of different diameters mounted one within the other. 
     
     
       8. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein the cross-sectional extent of said condenser coils is nearly equal to that of the inner diameter of said heat exchanger pipe, and wherein said condenser coil construction includes means for permitting the resilient deflection of the ends of said coils without significantly deforming the individual turns of said coils, whereby the assembly of said coils through one end of said heat exchanger pipe and the securing and sealing of said coils through the side walls of said heat exchanger pipe, is facilitated. 
     
     
       9. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said refrigeration installation includes at least four refrigeration units of different cooling capability, coupled respectively to at least four of said condensing coils of corresponding heat dissipation capability. 
     
     
       10. A unitized multi-unit refrigeration and water heating system in which manifolding of piping is avoided and potable water is protected against contamination, comprising: a refrigeration installation including a plurality of refrigeration units;   an elongated heat exchanger conduit mounted to extend generally along the length of said refrigeration installation;   a plurality of double walled condenser coils formed of standard metal tubing, mounted within said heat exchanger conduit, and having connections extending out from said heat exchanger conduit along the length thereof, said coils having different heat exchange capabilities corresponding respectively to the requirements of the individual refrigeration units in said installation;   non-toxic heat exchange liquid located between the inner and outer tubing of said double walled coils;   low pressure seals located between said inner and outer tubing outside of said heat exchanger conduit;   means for connecting the high pressure refrigeration fluid from individual refrigeration units to corresponding individual ones of said condenser coils; and   means for supplying water to be heated to one end of said heat exchanger pipe and for withdrawing heated water from the other end thereof.   
     
     
       11. A system as defined in claim 10 further comprising a preheat storage tank connected to receive heated water from said heat exchanger pipe, and a hot water heater connected to draw water from said preheat tank. 
     
     
       12. A unitized heat exchanger assembly for use with a refrigeration installation including several individual units, said assembly comprising: an elongated heat exchanger conduit for mounting generally along the length of said refrigeration installation, said heat exchange conduit having a width of at least four inches and a length of at least ten times its width;   a plurality of double walled condenser coils formed of standard metal tubing, mounted within said heat exchanger conduit, and having connections extending out from said heat exchanger conduit along the length thereof, said coils having different heat exchange capabilities corresponding respectively to the requirements of the individual units in said installation;   non-toxic heat exchange liquid located between the inner and outer tubing of said double walled coils;   low pressure seals located between said inner and outer tubing outside of said heat exchanger pipe; and   inlet and outlet means located at opposite ends of said heat exchanger conduit.   
     
     
       13. A unitized multi-unit refrigeration and water heating system in which manifolding of piping is avoided, comprising: an elongated refrigaration installation including a plurality of refrigeration units;   an elongated heat exchanger pipe mounted generally coextensively with said refrigeration installation, said heat exchange pipe having a diameter of at least four inches and a length of at least ten feet;   a plurality of condenser coils formed of standard metal tubing, mounted within said heat exchanger pipe, and having connections extending out from said heat exchanger pipe along the length thereof, said coils having different heat exchange capabilities corresponding respectively to the requirements of the individual refrigeration units in said installation;   means for connecting the high pressure refrigeration fluid from individual refrigeration units to corresponding individual ones of said condenser coils; and   means for supplying water to be heated to one end of said heat exchanger pipe and for withdrawing heated water from the other end thereof.   
     
     
       14. A system as defined in claim 13 further comprising a preheat storage tank connected to receive heated water from said heat exchanger pipe, and a hot water heater connected to draw water from said preheat tank. 
     
     
       15. A system as defined in claim 13 wherein said heat exchanger pipe is at least 5 inches in diameter and is at least ten times longer than its diameter. 
     
     
       16. A system as defined in claim 13 further comprising a layer of insulation enclosing said heat exchanger pipe.